Shoe tree



A. BALLARD SHOE TREE Filed Dec. 22 1921 Patented Sept. ii, i923.

aire ret-ea HARRIE A. BALLARD; 0F BOSTON BIASSACHSETTS, ASSIGNOR -TO GENERAL SHOE .Y

l menait tentativi* tiene- MACHINERY COMPANY, or Bosfron, rifasseonosrmrs, CORPORATION or MAINE;

SHOE TREE.

f Appiigatipn meer December 22, 1921. 'i serial amazing.

To all whom t may concern.' 1, r y

Be it known that l', `VHitman A. BALLARD, a citizen of' the United States, residing at Boston` in the county of Suiiolk `and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe Trees, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe treesand is particularly .concerned with the construction by which the veffective length of the tree may be adjusted and the construction by which it may be expanded o r contracted to operative or inoperative condition with ,relation to a shoe.

For a more complete understanding of this inventionreference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which- 1 Figure l is a plan partly broken away of the tree.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure l but showing the manner of adjusting the length of the tree.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2. Y y

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a toe piece formed substantially in the shape of the forward portion of a last. Extending inwardly from the end of the toe piece is a Y recess 2 having extending from opposite sides thereof a series of pairs of sockets or openings 3. As shown the recess is at one side of the median line of the toe piece since the length line between the toe and heel of the shoe is nearer the inside of the foot than the outside instead 0f being symmetrical. Consequently inthe arrangement shown the trees are made in rights and lefts. If desired the recess might be placed centrally of the width of the toe piece in which case the same tree might be used for either right or left shoe although separate trees for rights and lefts are preferred. The sockets 3 are designed to receive the outwardly turned forward ends 4 of a pair of spring arms of a bail shaped member 5 which extends rearwardly from the toe piece 1, and at its extreme rear portion passes through an enlarged perforation v6 eccentrically'disposed in a heel piece 7, the heel piece by this construction being pivoted on the bail. One end of the heel piece is formed rounded at 8 to engage the heel portion of a shoe -while its opposite end is formed as a handle 9' by engagement with which the heel piece may be rocked about its pivotal connection with `the bail. The bail and the heel piece are so related as to forma pair of xtoggle elements which may be straightened or broken by, a movement of the handle 9, the straight condition Ibeing` shown infullrlines in Figure 2 and 'the broken position. in Vdotted lines.

vYVhen in straight line position ,the tree is in vits operative position for engagement within K the toe Aand heel of theshoe while when `the toggle is broken the tree may be removed from the shoe. n this position also a considerable length of the heel piece extends between the arms of member 5 and holds them against the possibility of disengagement from the toe piece. l

In order to lock the tree in operative position the heel piece is formed with a widened portion 10 extending from the opening 6 in either direction to form a pair of shoulders engageable with the upper face of the bail when the heel piece is brought slightly beyond its dead center position as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

The tree may be adjusted for different sizes of shoe by springing the sides of the bail inwardly as shown in Figure 3 to remove the ends 4 from the recesses 2, whereupon it may be moved longitudinally with relation to the toe piece to engage with any one of the pairs of sockets 3 which may be desired.

Having thus described an embodiment of the invention it should be evident to those skilled rin the art that many changes and `modifications might be made therein with- 'out departing from its spirit or scope as deined by the appended claims.

I claim:-

l. A shoe tree comprising a toe piece, a pair of arms engageable at their forward ends withsaid toe piece, and al heel piece carried by said arms andmovable to prevent y e arms toward'said toe' piece and prevent detachment Yof said arms therefrom.

3. A shoe tree comprising Aa toe piece havextending sockets, a bail shaped member having its free ends outwardly turned to engage'in any of-said pairs of' sooketsfand V a heel piece pivoted on Said member' and movable thereon to expand and eontraet said tree, theV heel piece whenl in treefexpanded position projecting between the sides ofsaid 'member sullioiently to .prevent disengagement of s 'aid endslfrom said sockets. n

L A shoe treeeomprismg a toe piece havmgaserles ol opposedpairs olf-outwardly extendingl sooliets,fa bail ,shaped member having its free Yends outwardly Vturned to engage in anyfofs'aid pairs of sockets,l and a heelpieoe Vpivoted ony Said member "and movable thereon'fto expand'and `contract lng a series' of oppo'sed'pairs or' outwardly signature.

v v Y *figur/,915

said tree, the heel Vpiece whenl in tree-eX- panded position projecting between the sides of said member sufficiently to prevent disengagement of said ends. from said sockets, and said heelpieoeV having a portion acting with saidrmember as a toggle look to retain it in tree-eXpanded position.'

5. A shoe tree having a toe piece, a bail `Y shaped member extending rearwardly from said toe piece, a heelpieee pivoted on said member and forming a toggle therewith Hannie A.' BALL-ian. 

